MECh.A de CSUN, Colita de Rana, and the Chicana/o/x Research Department collaborate to host a Mikkaihuitl celebration of death on Friday, November 1st from 3:00pm to 11:00pm on the Chicanx House lawn I will. .
Micca Huitl will feature a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) altar with a variety of programs, as well as food, food stalls, and performances from the Ancestor Culture program. Attendees can look forward to a variety of performances, including Ballet Folklorico de Aztlán and DJ Mestizo.
“We’ll have student performers, food trucks, and of course vendors. This event has been going on since the ’90s, but this year we're breaking away from the traditional way of hosting it,” said MECh.A Vice President and Public Relations Specialist. said Sam Torres.
“There will also be workshops and teach-ins, and these altars will be given away to everyone,” Torres said.
The event also featured a creative arts workshop for the Art 385L class, where participants made paper calaveras (skulls), marigold headbands, mini piñatas, picture frames, and creatures believed to guide spirits to the afterlife. You can make some alebrije.
One of the beginnings of the event is an “ancestral cry” where community members can shout out the names of their loved ones and invite their spirits to join in the celebration.
“Calling out our ancestors is a very important part. And the ancestral cry is when people are allowed to enter and get on stage, and it’s an open mic and anyone who wants to remember , you can scream out the names of your loved ones who have passed away,” Torres said.
Mikkawitl is usually a two-day event, but this year’s event will be condensed into one day while maintaining the same cultural content and significance.
“This year will be a little different, but we expect it to be just as big, and we expect it to be approached with the same passion, the same traditions and cultural significance as previous years.” Torres said.
